Aaron at 06:58, 25 November 2024

2024-11-25T06:58:04Z

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{{short description|Missionary Society in India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox organization
|name = Church Missionary Society
|image = Church Missionary Society 1799.gif
|caption = CMS logo
|abbreviation = CMS
|formation = 12 April 1799
|headquarters =
|type = [[Evangelical Anglicanism]]<br />[[Ecumenism]]<br />[[Protestant missionary]]<br />[[British Commonwealth]]
|founder = [[Clapham Sect]]
|website =
}}
The '''Church Missionary Society in India''' was a branch organisation established by the [[Church Mission Society|Church Missionary Society]] ('''CMS'''), which was founded in Britain in 1799 under the name the '''Society for Missions to Africa and the East''',<ref name="I1">{{cite journal|last1= Mounstephen |first1= Philip |author-link1=Philip Mounstephen |title= Teapots and DNA: The Foundations of CMS|url=http://www.nzcms.org.nz/teapots-and-dna-the-foundations-of-cms-intermission-issue-22/ |year= 2015 |journal= Intermission|volume=22}}</ref> as a mission society working with the [[Anglican Communion]], other [[Protestantism|Protestant]]s, and [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox]] Christians around the world. In 1812, the British organization was renamed the '''Church Missionary Society'''.<ref name="CMS-RK">{{cite web| last =Keen| first =Rosemary| work= Adam Matthew Publications |title= Church Missionary Society Archive|url= http://www.ampltd.co.uk/digital_guides/church_missionary_society_archive_general/editorial%20introduction%20by%20rosemary%20keen.aspx| access-date=29 January 2017}}</ref>

In 1814 the CMS began sending missionaries to India and established mission stations at [[Chennai]] (Madras) and [[Bengal]], then in 1816 at [[Travancore]].<ref name="CMSatlasHind">{{cite web|title= The Church Missionary Atlas (India)|pages= 95–156|date= 1896| url= http://www.churchmissionarysociety.amdigital.co.uk/Documents/Details/CMS_OX_Atlas_01|access-date=19 October 2015 | publisher = [[Adam Matthew Digital]]}}</ref> The mission stations were extended across India in the following years. The work among women was mainly left to the [[Church of England Zenana Missionary Society]] and the [[Zenana Bible and Medical Mission]].<ref name="CV19">{{cite book |title= The Centenaru Volume of the Church Missionary Society for Africa and the East 1799-1899|url= https://ecommons.cornell.edu/bitstream/1813/29805/1/Z163_02_0540.pdf|year=1902|publisher= London : Church Missionary Society, digital publication: Cornell University|page=19}}</ref>

==The CMS in India==
[[File: Henry Martyn.jpg|thumb|right|200px| [[Henry Martyn]], missionary to India and [[Church Missionary Society in the Middle East and North Africa#Iran (Persia)|Persia]]]]
[[File:palayamkottai.jpg|thumb|[[Holy Trinity Cathedral, Palayamkottai]], Tirunelveli - Built by Rev. [[C. T. E. Rhenius|Charles Rhenius]]]]
The [[East India Company]] controlled access to India and only allowed its chaplains to work among the European communities. [[The Reverend]] [[Henry Martyn]] wanted to offer his services to the [[Church Missionary Society]], however a financial disaster in Cornwall deprived him and his unmarried sister of the income their father had left for them. It was necessary for Martyn to earn an income that would support his sister as well as himself.<ref name="DNB">{{cite DNB|wstitle=Martyn, Henry|volume=36}}</ref> He accordingly obtained a chaplaincy under the [[East India Company]] and left for [[British Raj|India]] on 5 July 1805.<ref name="ODCC">{{cite book |editor=F. L. Cross |editor2=E. A. Livingstone | title =The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 3rd edition | publisher =Oxford University Press | date =13 March 1997 | location =USA | pages =[https://archive.org/details/oxforddictionary00late/page/1046 1046] | url =https://archive.org/details/oxforddictionary00late/page/1046 | isbn =019211655X | url-access =registration }}</ref> [[William Wilberforce]] campaigned for the revision of the charter of the East India Company to permit missionaries to work in India. When the Charter Bill was passed in 1813 the CMS had missionaries ready for the India mission.<ref name="CMS-RK"/> The Revd [[C. T. E. Rhenius|Charles Rhenius]] and the Revd John Christian Schnarre were the first CMS missionaries to arrive at India and were sent to work at [[Chennai]] (Madras).<ref name="CV16">{{cite book |title= The Centenaru Volume of the Church Missionary Society for Africa and the East 1799-1899|url= https://ecommons.cornell.edu/bitstream/1813/29805/1/Z163_02_0540.pdf|year=1902|publisher= London : Church Missionary Society, digital publication: Cornell University|page=16}}</ref> Charles Rhenius later worked in [[Tirunelveli]] (Tinnevelly).

The CMS sent 7 missionaries to India in 1814-1816: two were placed at [[Chennai]] (Madras), two at [[Bengal]] and three at [[Travancore]] (1816).<ref name="CMSatlasHind"/> The Indian missions were extended in the following years to a number of locations including [[Agra]], [[Meerut district]], [[Varanasi]] (Benares), [[Mumbai]] (Bombay) (1820), [[Tirunelveli]] (Tinnevelly) (1820) and [[Kolkata]] (Calcutta) (1822).

New mission stations were later established in the [[Telugu Christian|Telugu Country]] (1841) and at [[Lahore]] in the [[Punjab region]] (1852).<ref name="CMSatlasHind"/><ref name="CMSatlasHxi">{{cite web|title= The Church Missionary Atlas (Church Missionary Society)|pages= xi|date= 1896| url= http://www.churchmissionarysociety.amdigital.co.uk/Documents/Details/CMS_OX_Atlas_01|access-date=19 October 2015 | publisher = [[Adam Matthew Digital]]}}</ref>

While the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857|Revolt of 1857]] resulted in damage to the missions in the North West Provinces, after the revolt the CMS expanded its missions to [[Oudh State|Oudh]], [[Allahabad]], the [[Santhal people]] (1858), and to [[Kashmir]] (1865).<ref name="CMS-RK"/><ref name="CMSatlasHind"/><ref name="CMSatlasHxi"/>

In 1899, [[Baring Baring-Gould|B. Baring-Gould]] and his daughter Elizabeth oversaw the missions in India and China supporting the development of additional hospitals and schools. Their work describe the balance between westernized education and medical care versus Christian conversion.<ref name=":BG">{{Cite book|last=Baring-Gould|first=Edith M. E.|url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100898814|title=With note-book and camera: a winter journey in foreign lands|last2=Young|first2=W. Mackworth|date=1901|publisher=Church Missionary Society|location=London}}</ref>

==Kolkata (Calcutta)==
The CMS mission in Calcutta was started in 1822. The first CMS school was opened at Kidderpore, a suburb of Calcutta, in 1816; and the first girls’ school in 1822, by Miss M. A. Cooke, at Calcutta.<ref name="CV16"/> [[Reginald Heber]], the [[Diocese of Calcutta of the Church of North India|Bishop of Calcutta]] (1823–1826) supported the work of the CMS mission.

The Revd [[James Long (Anglican priest)|James Long]] joined the mission in 1840. [[Edward Stuart]] served in India from 1850 to 1874. He was the Secretary of the Church Missionary Society at Calcutta. He also served at [[Agra]] and at [[Jalalpur]].<ref name="ES1">{{cite web|first= Eugene|last= Stock |title = The Story of the New Zealand Mission| date =1913|url= http://anglicanhistory.org/nz/stock1913/ |access-date=4 March 2019}}</ref>

==Agra==
[[Valpy French]] arrived in India in 1851. He was sent to [[Agra]], where he founded the [[St. John's College, Agra]] in 1853.<ref name="brit">[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9000269/Thomas-Valpy-French Thomas Valpy French] [[Britannica.com]].</ref>

==Lahore==
The CMS mission in [[Lahore]] started in 1852. The Revd [[H. U. Weitbrecht]] was sent to India in 1875 to be the Vice Principal of St. John's Divinity College, Lahore. Valpy French became the first [[Anglican Bishop of Lahore|Bishop of Lahore]] in 1877.<ref name="brit"/>

==Mission in Kerala==
The contribution made by the society in creating and maintaining educational institutions in [[Kerala]], the most literate state in India, is significant. Many colleges and schools in Kerala and [[Tamil Nadu]] still have CMS in their names. Among the oldest in modern India, the [[CMS College Kottayam]] is regarded a pioneer in popularising secondary education in southern India, whose famous alumni include former Indian President [[K. R. Narayanan]], career diplomats [[K. P. S. Menon (senior)|K.P.S. Menon]] and [[K. M. Panikkar]] as well as scientist [[E. C. George Sudarshan]].

The Revd [[Benjamin Bailey (missionary)|Benjamin Bailey]] was appointed to the [[Kottayam]] mission in the Indian state of [[Kerala]] in 1816 and in 1821 he established a printing press.<ref name="CMSatlasHind"/> Benjamin Bailey translated the complete Bible to [[Malayalam]] language. He also authored the first printed Malayalam-English Dictionary. He is considered as the father of Malayalam printing.<ref>''Benjamin Bailiyum Malayala Saahityavum''. By Dr. Babu Cherian. Published by the Department of Printing and Publishing, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam.</ref>

==CMS activities in the 20th Century==
The CMS continued to send missionaries to India, including [[Frank Lake]] in 1937.

==See also==
{{Portal|Christianity}}
* [[Protestantism in India]]
* [[Christianity in India]]
* [[List of Protestant missionaries in India]]
* [[History of Christian missions]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Protestant missions to India}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Religious organizations established in 1799]]
[[Category:Church of England missions]]
[[Category:Church of England missionary societies]]
[[Category:Evangelical Anglicanism]]
[[Category:Founders of Indian schools and colleges]]
[[Category:Anglican organizations established in the 18th century]]
[[Category:Christian missionary societies]]

Church Missionary Society in India - Revision history

Aaron at 06:58, 25 November 2024